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Thursday July 5, 2018

Hola from Antigua Guatemala! Yesterday our staff team spent the day receiving students at the airport in Guatemala City – we were excited to see students in blue shirts coming out ready to start their Guatemalan cultural adventure! Students on the earlier flights had a chance to try Pollo Campero – a famous Guatemalan chicken franchise – for lunch before heading to our hotel in Antigua for some icebreakers and R&R.

They later had dinner at Doña Luisa, a restaurant serving American and Guatemalan food in a refurbished colonial mansion. Students who flew in later grabbed dinner (also Pollo Campero – we’re keeping that place in business!) in the city before riding to Antigua and heading to bed. This morning we’ve just finished our breakfast and are off for a full day of travel and exploration. More updates to come soon!

 

Friday July 6, 2018

Hey everyone! It’s day 2 and we’re loving every minute. We started off the day in a beautiful indoor/outdoor hotel. We then headed down to San Antonio to learn about the unique cultural practice of weaving. The women of San Antonio explained to us how the unique process has become industrialized and demonstrated their continued efforts to conserve weaving by hand. We then watched as our fellow group-mates participated in a traditional wedding ceremony that was complete with woven gifts and dropping white flower petals on the couple to wish them a happy (pretend) marriage based on the traditional Mayan wedding ceremony. To conclude our visit, we all got to try forming and eating a tortilla.

From there, we took a quick roadtrip to the beautiful coffee plantation, Azotea. We were led through the steps of crafting artisinal Guatemalan coffee while surrounded by amazing natural sights. After a four hour roadtrip to Xela, we arrived at our Home Base for the trip! We all bonded during our first dinner as a whole group. We heard about everything planned for the rest of the trip, and everyone is so excited! It’s going to be a blast!

Hasta Luego!

Madeleine & Olivia

Saturday July 7, 2018

DUCK! Don’t let the hanging plants touch you! Holding on in the back of an open-air truck, we make the trek to our first adventure of the day: Zip lining!

As we zoom among the treetops, we’re surrounded by the most expansive view of Guatemala we’ve seen so far. As we make our way through the nine lines, it’s easy to be distracted by the waterfall below us and steaming volcano above us when we should be preparing to stop. After a few rough landings, we got used to breaking and eventually made our way back to the Home Base.

Not nearly exhausted enough and taking full advantage of the beautiful weather, everyone decides to play soccer or start up a game of cards. This helped pass the time and bring us closer together as we waited for our guest speaker.

Arturo, our amazing guest speaker, shined a light on both past and present injustices in Guatemala’s society. From the sunlight of the late afternoon to the darkness of night, wee stayed fully engaged in the extensive information he presented to us. Thankful for his openness and ability to answer our questions, we headed in for a delicious dinner!

To broaden our understanding of this vibrant culture, we will now receive our nawals (Mentor Note: these are the Maya spiritual symbols/animal guides). These will be used tomorrow as we continue our journey! To find out about your nawal, visit http://mcd.gob.gt/calcular-nawal/.

Sarah & Sophie

Sunday July 8, 2018

Hola de Xela! Today was a very busy, but also a very exciting day. First off, we drove to Chikabal for an authentic Maya ceremony with a shaman. He spoke in Mayan dialect and led us through giving offerings to our Nawal spirits. We all found out our own Nawales based on our birth dates the night before. We even got to place candles into the fire as offerings when our specific Nawal was called. It was a a really once-in-a-lietime experience for all of us.

Ok, ok…now I have to back track. In order to get to the ceremony, we had to hike a dormant volcano. We split into two groups–fast and slow. Let’s just say everyone in the slow group was happy to be there. A lot of us weren’t used to hiking this steep, but we all pulled together and bonded an insane amount when finally reaching our destination. The views were amazing, and our constant dance parties and breaks on the hike were definitely highlights.

The way back down (about an hour each way) was insanely funny. We all kept laughing as we went down the steep path trying not to slip. When we made it back to the trucks, we were all happy and tired from our hike.

After lunch, we had about 3.5 hours to ourselves to rest. To sum it all up, we found our true laughs, played pickup games of soccer and handball, and basically just had a great time with each other. Next, we had a group discussion about safe and responsible travel. It was all about respecting the culture/people while making our hopefully long-lasting positive impact.

After an amazing dinner from our wonderful kitchen staff (of locals), we had our first mentor group meeting. There were three groups and we all had different activities to not only get to know each other, but what it meant to be leaders and more. Tomorrow is our first day of service with the kids and we all could not be more excited to meet them!

–by Merin

 

Monday July 9, 2018

Today was our first day of service! At the school, we watched an assembly that included dancing and fireworks. We then were part of a chaotic recess filled with games and piggyback rides. We spoke with kids from kindergarten to sixth grade. After our exciting half hour of introducing ourselves, we began our mural project. Some began to paint a classroom mural, and others scraped paint off of a wall outside.

When we returned from the school, we prepped for a mystery activity! We ended up at El Cementario General (general cemetery), and were told the story of Vanushka (Mentor Note: an old tale of a woman who died of a broken heart and gives blessings in areas of love for those who sign their name or give offerings at her grave). We broke into groups for a picture scavenger hung on our way to Central Park. After exploring, we took a break at a cafe for drinks. Then we took a brief walk through the second oldest church in Guatemala. When we returned to Home Base, we eagerly began planning our lessons for tomorrow’s visit to the school.

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Hola! It’s Carolina and Bella.

This morning, we had the most amazing breakfast burritos to start our day off right. We previously had been separated into two groups, one teaching in the morning, and one in the afternoon. The group who was not teaching English to the kids, assisted in preparing and painting the mural. At recess, the kids crowded around us with hugs and we gave them piggy-back rides. All of us really bonded throughout the day. We wrapped everything up, said our goodbyes and headed back to Home Base for a delicious lunch of chicken, rice, and watermelon.

Soon after, we went on a very informative and tasty chocolate factory tour. After everyone purchased some authentic Guatemala chocolate, we drove to a super cool and fun salsa class. There, we learned new dance steps which we practiced with partners. When we got home, we had some free time and took advantage by watching a movie as a group. Later, after dinner we wrapped up with mentor groups before bed.

Wednesday July 11, 2018

So…it’s been a week now!!! Today was our second day of teaching at the elementary school. Just like yesterday, we were split into two groups; thirteen people taught the kids while thirteen worked on the mural, and vice versa. The theme of the lessons today was art, so we taught the kids English and fine motor skills through different craft projects, such as fortune tellers and self-portraits. As for the murals, we started by grid ding in the places we are going to paint. Recess was crazy as always, and it was great to see the volunteers interact with the students.

In the afternoon, we experienced the more rural side of Guatemala in the village of Momostenango. We saw how the families handmade different items, from making and dyeing the thread to weaving the pieces into pants, blankets, and more. We also got to try delicious tortillas and tea!

Back at our Home Base, we had time to rest, socialize, and plan lessons for tomorrow. We ended our day in our mentor groups with compliments and leadership activities. It was such a fun day, and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

-Katie D. and Stella

Thursday July 12, 2018

Today, we visited the school for the third time. We taught life skills in the classroom. Additionally, we worked on the murals and made great progress, but sadly it was the last day of teaching.

After we got back to the Home Base, we ate lunch and then went to the hot springs. We had an adventure getting stuck on a side road for half an hour (mentor note: due to road paving trucks passing by). When we got to the hot springs, we got in and hung out for a while. The ride back was not as bad as the ride there. We ate dinner and then watched a documentary on the Guatemalan civil war.

—Zane

Friday July 13, 2018

Today, we went to the school and worked on the murals all morning and made lots of progress. It’s all finally coming together!! We all were very excited to go to Walmart this afternoon and stock up on snacks. Next, we went to the Mega Paca (pretty much Goodwill of Guatemala) and made some quality purchases.

Afterward, we had a speaker, who was a military fighter in the Guatemalan Civil War come talk to us about his experiences. For dinner, we got to enjoy Domino’s Pizza and then closed out the night with a dance party, so it was a pretty successful day, I’d say.

-by Katie H.

 

Saturday July 14, 2018

Hello everyone!

We started the day with a deliciously nutritious breakfast before embarking on our journey to Panajachel. Upon arrival, we were settled into our rooms and then went on a boat ride. The water and scenery were absolutely beautiful! We took the boat to two different places, one of which was famous for its pottery.

In the other town, some opted to hike and see the beautiful scenery while others . hose to wander the whimsical streets. After exploring the two towns, we headed back to Panajachel on the boat and some of us were lucky enough to have the boat splash water on us.

Once we returned, we did something called a privilege walk as a group activity. In this, we were asked questions that we either have to step forward or backwards for. Those at the front of the line are considered to experience more privileges in life. It was eye-opening to see the end results, and despite our backgrounds we can still come together as a group.

Next, we went into the town of Panajachel. We had the opportunity to wander around and buy stuff. Afterwards, we went to the top of a restaurant for sunset yoga. The yoga was very relaxing, and the french fries and guacamole certainly topped it off.

After this, we walked home for a team activity and then went to bed in the hotel for the night. Overall, it was an awesome day filled with activity and adventure. It’s hard to believe we’re near the end of the trip. Much love from Guatemala to all our families across the world and we will talk again tomorrow when we go to Chichicastenango!

Miss you mom and dad,

Lilly & Margo

Monday July 16, 2018

It all started with an early sunrise with 20 students going by the lake to paint. Everyone had to wake up before our departure time, which was 5:50am. We were all sleepy and tired. When we were at our destination, we used watercolors and markers. It was relaxing, calm, and beautiful to see the lake. At the end, we all appreciated each-other’s masterpieces. We were told that we had to walk from our destination to the hotel. So, everyone walked as fast as they could, tired and sleepy. We had to pack and get ready to go to Chichicastenango, which consisted of sleeping and singing on our way there.

We drove to Chichicastenango and were given time to explore the market. Here we were able to walk around the town and market, while checking the TVs from time to time for the World Cup final. In the market we were able to use our newly acquired bargaining skills to bring down the price of the souvenirs on sale. After the market, we had lunch at a hotel in the town and then departed back to Xela. There we played cards and soccer while waiting for dinner. After dinner we watched a very eye opening documentary about migrants from Mexico and Central America trying to make their way to the US.

–Julissa & Vid

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Hi everyone, today proved to be bittersweet as we finished up our last day of service and spent our last night in home base.

In the morning, we completed the five murals that we had been working on for about a week and played with the kids during our last recess. Later during the school day, the kids presented each member of our group with crafts and heartfelt goodbyes. It was definitely hard saying “hasta pronto” to the kids we had grown to love in such a short amount of time. There were more than a few tears and group hugs all around.

In the afternoon, we made an excursion to San Andrés, Xec’ul. A town about 40 minutes away from home base known for its blending of Mayan and Catholic customs. Our guide, Don Miguel, gave us a tour of the town, including a church from the 16th century, a site used for religious rituals, and a demonstration of traditional Mayan embroidery and clothes making. Don Miguel was very kind after a long tour around his home town and invited us for hot chocolate and shecas (a traditional bread in Guatemala)!

We started our night with packing and preparation to leave for Antigua the next day. Dinner was delicious as always thanks to our amazing kitchen staff Fide, Pati, Maria Luisa, Irma, and Hilda. Obviously our stay at homebase wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t celebrate our time in Xela with a bumpin’ dance party.

NOTE: Big thanks from the students to the amazing local staff that took care of us at homebase, Don René, Orlando, Fide, Pati, Maria Luisa, Irma, and Hilda. Also to the van staff for keeping us safe on some of the toughest roads we had been on, Chepito, Walter, and Nayo! We have so much love for you all.

Thank you Xela, you were good to us!

Aubri and Eva <3

Wednesday July 18, 2018

To start, apologies for any teardrops on Tiffany’s keyboard that may disrupt the blog. Today was a day of goodbyes, starting with Home Base and all of the wonderful staff there. All of the meals they have cooked have been a saving grace for use (the energy difference before and after mealtime was consistently astounding).

After bidding Orlando and Princesa (the cat) adios and thanking them with a very American-accented gracias, we settled in with ur mentor groups for the final ride. Our four hours to Antigua were pleasantly interrupted twice with steps first at Iximche, a Mayan ruin, and then for lunch. our tour of the ruins was a welcome stroll for our cramped legs, which traced the footsteps of Mayan royalty as our eyes surveyed the 5 plazas of Iximche. Each one of us undoubtedly imagined it at its weight, a gem in one of the crowning civilizations of human history. Our second step was for a meal at the quaintest little place you could hope to imagine, a road-side restaurant complete with a picnic courtyard, a playground, and a rabbit arm. 33 satisfied students and staff later, we finished our trip.

In Antigua, we joined our mentor groups for the last afternoon, and our mentors took us to all their favorite restaurants, parks, and shops in Antigua. After meeting back up at the hotel, we ate an Italian dinner on a rooftop and said our final goodbyes, something we continued back at the hotel where we now sit, awaiting and dreading our departure tomorrow. We all feel a unique mix of emotions now, but one thing for certain is mutual. We will miss Guatemala and the people here. We have all become better people, and we could never hope to give back what we have gotten however hard we tried. Adios!

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Wednesday June 20, 2018 

The day is finally here! The students have been arriving to Guatemala little by little throughout the day. We couldn’t be happier to be receiving them with open arms like buenos Chapines.

Faith and Angela, our first students, spent the day getting a quick tour of Antigua, visiting a an art exhibit, and eating comida tipica. As they rested, we welcomed another two groups at the airport.

The afternoon groups, although a little delayed, walked out of the airport with big smiles. As we had dinner at Pollo Campero, the students discussed their excitement over being in Guatemala and working with the children. I was delighted to hear their enthusiasm over our community service project.

Tomorrow morning we start our day’s events with a demonstration of a Mayan Wedding at San Antonio Aguas Caliente. Soon after we start our journey to our HomeBase in Xela. Along the way we make a stop at the Mayan ruins in Tecpán.

Throughout our program the students will be updating the blog daily with pictures and daily events. Keep a look out!

Hunter and Maria are not pictured as they had not yet arrived during the time of the post. Update soon.

Yours truly,
Eunice
International Director

Thursday June 21, 2018

Our whole group is in country now, as Hunter arrived later last night and Maria arrived this evening to Guatemala City. After a long day of traveling yesterday, morning came early for us today. And yet, we all found a great deal of energy and excitement as we looked forward to our first activities together. After breakfast and a view at the lovely hotel in Antigua, we boarded the vans to San Antonio Aguas Calientes for a visit to an artisan cooperative.

Here we learned how five local Maya families independently created a project for cultural preservation as a response to increasing manufacturing and decreasing self-sufficiency. The students were awed by the beautiful variety of handcrafts, but I think we were all even more impressed by the skill and hard work it takes to maintain the traditional practices of weaving, tortilla making, and coffee grinding. Just ask the students, who had the opportunity to try a little of each.

We also learned about the traditional Maya wedding ceremony in the local culture. Students had a lot of fun performing the ceremony and were introduced to some considerations of poverty, nutrition, gender roles, and changing societal norms…all topics which the leadership staff are looking forward to exploring deeper with the students as we continue our journey together.

After the artisan visit, students continued onward towards Xela with Eunice, Jordan, Nayo, and Diego. Heading through the mountains, we quickly learned that music inspires bonding in our group, as one van energized with reggaeton and another proudly sang Disney soundtracks. On the way, the group visited ruins in the Maya city of Iximche, where they were introduced to the Maya spirit animal symbols, each referred to as a Nawal. They are greatly looking forward to learning about their individual Nawal later in the program.

Students arrived safely to HomeBase in Xela and spent the evening getting to know one another with games and orientation to the program. Tomorrow, students complete their first visit to our service site and engage in some more cultural activities. Due to late arrival today, Maria and I will make our way to Xela tomorrow morning to unite with everyone.

-by Tiffany Mead (mentor)

Friday June 22, 2018

Today’s Authors: Pravi and Cameryn, students

Hey! It’s Poppin’ Pravi and Cool Cameryn!

We started our fun-filled day meeting the adorable kiddos at the school/day care that we will be doing our service at for these next few weeks. The kids all greeted us with open arms and big smiles and were so excited to have us to play and interact with. We toured the school and observed ways to implement our ideas to better their learning environment. Some of the ideas that we are interested in implementing are education murals on their bare walls, a small flower garden to symbolize growth, and to better the playground area in ways such as trimming the grass. We bonded with all the kids, and it’s safe to say that we all had as much fun playing with them as they had with us. As we said goodbye for the day, we were all sad to leave our new friends, but we were excited for our future visits and way we planned to benefit the school.

We took a quick trip to a local flower shop and we picked out different types of beautiful flowers to put in the garden at the school. After a long morning, we headed back to home base for lunch and got excited about our chocolate tour and salsa dancing class. Not only this, but we were all thrilled to welcome our last member to arrive, Maria, who completed our group. We played a competitive game of Jeopardy about what we learned during our orientation for this trip.

After this, we left home base and visited a local chocolate factory ran by the fifth generation of a family. The owner, Doña Mirna Rojas, who explained that her dream as a child was to own a factory like Willy Wonka. We ate chocolate covered fruits, and pure cacao hot chocolate. We even got to try the cacao fruit, which tastes like mango on the outside, but is very bitter on the inside. Doña Mirna Rojas taught us about the history of chocolate in the Mayan culture and how it is supposed to make you strong and energized!

After this delightful experience, we got the change to dance off all the chocolate we ate in a Puerto Rican salsa dancing class. We all struggled at first, but all got in the groove and had so much fun dancing with each other to some simple salsa steps. As we jammed to some fun music on the way home, we all reflected on the amazing day we had just experienced. We enjoyed dinner, joining all of our tables together as one united group. Another rule we recently implemented was keeping our phones with GLA staff during the day. We have all been in support of this, and believe that not having our phones today made it easier to connect and bond with each other during times that we would usually be tempted to be on our phones. (Mentor Note: Students have agreed as a community to cell phone use at night after activities and before breakfast each day.) We are all excited about new experiences and more group bonding. Over and out!

Saturday June 23, 2018

!Hola!

Some of us started out our day by waking up an hour early to go on a walk around the home base. After observing our surroundings and picking up objects that we connected with, we painted said objects and the landscape. We were only allowed to draw by looking at the subject and sensing where we painted, rather than focusing on the canvas. Later, the whole group began the adventure by traveling an hour and a half to the friendly little village of Momostenango. Our trip was accompanied by some amazing early 2000s and Disney jams. When we arrived, we ventured down a hillside and began a lesson on wool processing. We not only saw how wool was spun and made into blankets, but we did it ourselves. Maria was the best at it by far, but no one could beat the exceptional skills of Louis’ and Telma’s family. We also learned that all their wool was dyed with natural substances and no chemicals to create a rainbow of vibrant colors. They preserve the fabric with ashes and calcium so it’s all washer friendly!

Since we couldn’t get enough of the wool, we were invited to their tienda. In it were blankets, sweaters, headbands, pants and more, all for us to buy. Many opted for sweaters, but I chose to get myself a pair of pants and a bag. While we happily indulged ourselves in the clothing, Telma prepared tortillas and tea for us all to enjoy. She even decided to whip up some quesadillas for us as well. We were all grateful for the warm welcome and our full stomachs. After stuffing our faces and saying our goodbyes, which may have involved passing out dum-dum lollipops to the adorable children, we made our way back to home base.

As soon as we got home, we sat down for lunch in silence. We were all so tired from jet lag and all of our exciting journeys that we needed a break. However, that didn’t stop us from eating. We stuffed our faces once again before going upstairs for our talk on cultural awareness. Today’s topic was nutrition, so we calculated a typical Guatemalan family’s budget and then built a meal plan around it. It was important for us to recognize that one’s economic status can lead to a lack of nutrition, which is something we may take for granted in the states. We also connected malnutrition to height, which allowed us to see a physical representation of how malnutrition affects us as humans. Before transitioning into our lesson plans, we got up some energy with a dínamica

(ice-breaker activity). First, we played a tournament-like game of rock, paper, scissors that turned us into eggs, chickens, and dinosaurs. We finished up with a round of telestrations (Mentor note: think telephone meets pictionary), although there were some conceptual struggles that made the game a bit confusing.

After visiting the school on Friday, seeing the facility, interacting with the kids, and starting to think about improvements, we began creating our lesson plans. After coming up with multiple ideas as a whole, we split into three groups. One group planned lessons on emotional awareness and learning basic English words for 2-3 year olds. A second group focused on music/nursery rhymes and shapes for 0-2 year olds. The last group started planning to teach the 4 year olds about geography and basic football (soccer) skills. Each group will teach their lessons on different days, while other groups work not he mural, fixing the playground, organizing the classroom, planting a garden, and other projects. Everyone is very excited to get back to working at the school on Tuesday.

Later, we celebrated Angela’s birthday. We surprised her with balloons and party hats as we sang “Feliz Cumpleaños” to her in the dining room. The GLA staff taught us authentic Guatemalan birthday traditions. We also played pin the tail on the donkey and a game where a string with a stick was tied around someone’s waist and they had to squat to get the stick in the cup. We played other games, like ninja and limbo too.

After a lot of dancing, a relay race, and sardines (Mentor note: think reverse hide-and-seek), we also bonded as a group by coming up with a team name, song, signal, and handshake. After a great dinner, we continued Angela’s sweet sixteen celebration with a piñata. Angela took the first few hits and after everyone had a turn, the piñata was still mostly intact. So, the stick returned to Angela who was able to knock the piñata down and get the candy out. We finished out the celebrations with birthday cake. To end the day, we had movie night and some of us gathered around to watch.”Coco,” about Día de los Muertos, in Spanish.

We’re all excited to share our future adventures with ya’ll!

Deuces,

Sanjana and Hunter

Sunday June 24, 2018

Hey it’s Emma and Bella! We had a super great time yesterday. To start we drove from home base to the Chichicastenago, where the biggest craft market in the Western Hemisphere is located. We made our way through the streets and the tents set up bartering for Guatemalan gifts.

After eating lunch in a hotel that housed Spanish-speaking parrots, we met and performed for the other GLA group. They were a little bit confused by our A cappella rendition of “Since You’ve Been Gone.” Then we loaded back into the vans and drove through beautiful winding mountain roads to Panajachel (on Lake Atitlán).

Here, we shopped some more, and took in the beautiful scenery. By this point we were masters at bartering and saying “no, gracias” to the street vendors. One of our favorite vendors was a Guatemalan named Clemente. He was selling jewelry made out of recycled materials like silverware and old Guatemalan currency. After shopping, we all paid 5 Qs to ride in tuk-tuks back to our hotel. The ride was bumpy but exciting.

As we arrived to the hotel, the sun was setting behind the volcanoes over the lake. It was truly a breathtaking sight. After the hotel staff made dinner for us we gathered around to hear the story of Nayo, GLA’s director for Guatemalan programs. He told us about his amazing journey from a rural plantation to a leader for his town and for GLA. It was inspiring to hear how much those around him praised him for his leadership and handwork. It left us feeling motivated to become leaders in all of our futures and to work with the children in the coming days. Hasta luego!

– Emma and Bella

Monday June 25, 2018

Guats up?? It’s Spectacular Sarah and Goofy Gabby here!

So today was our last day in Panajachel. We stayed the night at the Paradise Inn along Lake Atitlan. A small group of early risers decided to get up early and take a Tok-Tok ride to an overlook of the lake, which was beautiful. And then they walked down to meet the rest of the group for breakfast.

After breakfast, we headed out to catch our boat called a “Lancha.” We then took a 30 minute boat ride across the lake to the lakeside town of San Juan. This town is known for its fantastic art galleries and woman’s cooperatives. We were then given 2 hours of free time to explore the town and shop. Some of us decided to look at local galleries, while others sipped on some local coffee.

Around lunch time we were given the option to stay at the hotel and rest or to make any last minute purchases in Panajachel. We were scheduled to leave Panajachel at 1pm, but we were given an extra hour to rest before leaving because a lot of us were starting to feel under the weather. The staff provided us with Pepto Bismol, electrolyte drinks, and Dramamine for the 3 hour trip back to home base. Most afternoon activities were cancelled in order to give us more resting time, If anyone was up to it, we worked on the lesson plans for our next day of service at the local school. We finished the night off with dinner of soup and toast to make everyone feel a little better. We were all very glad have had this day to catch up on some much needed rest.

 

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Yo parents and our fans from the Estados Unidos! Its Casey and Katherine here blogging. Today, thanks to Nayo’s pedialyte, we all rose from bed to go visit our favorite kids at the school. Today was our first day beginning our projects and lesson plans. We split up into three groups: teachers, grass-cutters, and painters.

A group of us worked with the two and three year olds, teaching them emotions, animals, numbers, colors, and little bits of English. The two year olds loved interacting, and singing songs like “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” The three year olds were a little hard to control but were bundles of laughter and energy. Casey, Max, and Pravi worked on the tall grass in the children’s playground, using many tools to power through and clear some space underneath swings, slides, and general playing areas. The rest of the group painted the walls, and began painting the designs Jordan expertly planned for the mural! We are super excited to see the turnout.

After work, came play, and we all got to spend time bonding with the kids. There are classrooms ranging from 0-4 years old, and all are so cute and happy to see us when we come to play with them. We’ve really begun to form bonds and create many memories with the children there.

In the afternoon, a group of us went to San Andres, while some of us stayed behind to catch up on sleep. In San Andres, we learned about the history of the Catholic/Mayan church. It was vibrant with colors that signified many different meanings. They repainted it in 2016 with money donated from the U.S. Over 70% of the people living there have moved to the U.S. The people living there now are very in sync with their culture and only speak the native Mayan language. Then we hiked up a very steep hill to our tour guide’s house, and it’s a tradition to give people who come to your house hot chocolate and bread.

Back at the Home Base, we split up into mentor groups and went through different bonding activities. It was super nice to get to know each other on a closer level. We’re so excited to go continue working on our projects tomorrow!

– Casey and Katherine

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Hello from the Guatemala Gang!

Today was a very productive and fun day for us! In the morning, we woke up ready to work with the kids. Today, our groups made progress in the mural, playground maintenance, and teaching in the classroom. The first grade spent time working on the mural that incorporates moral values for the kids to follow.

The next group continued to rid the playground of overgrown grass and weeds that made it hard for the kids to play and prepped for the garden we are going to grow. The last group worked in the classrooms and taught the 4-5 year olds landscapes, animals, and plants in English. They also worked with them to draw their favorite animals after learning how to say them in Spanish and English. To end our morning with the kids, everyone was given an hour to play outside with them or spend extra time not he mural.

The afternoon was also busy as we set out on an excursion to local hot springs. After spending an hour driving through the beautiful mountains seen in Xela, we reached the hot springs. The afternoon was chilly and rainy, making the hot springs even better. We spent around 2 hours in one of the large natural pools just swimming and chatting. We also got to take in the scenery as the hot springs are surrounded by lush greenery, almost as if it were in a rainforest.

The hot springs filled up most of the afternoon and left everyone tired, so to finish our night, we broke into smaller groups with a mentor to reflect on ourselves and the day.This was a nice end to the day as we got to take in the day’s work. I’m looking forward to finish the mural and teaching the 0-2 year olds tomorrow!

Peace, Gabby

Thursday June 28, 2018

Hey guys! It’s Maddie here to update you on today’s events. We started off the day by going to the school. Some people continued painting the first mural, while others started a new one. Some people cleaned up the weeds int he playground, and others painted the walls. Even with people doing all of these tasks, there was still one more group of people teaching. They taught the 0-4 year olds shapes in English and Spanish and where they can find them throughout the classroom. This group also taught all the other ages nursery rhymes in Spanish and English.

After the school day, we ate lunch and then headed out to our surprise director’s activity. This turned out to be us going to a beautiful lookout where we could see the whole town. While we were there, we went into the woods surrounding the area. In the woods, we played multiple versions of tag and went down the slides multiple times. Once we were finished at the lookout, we went to the mall. At the mall, there were many different places people went, like Domino’s, Walmart, Ice cream places, and Panda Express. Next, we went back to home base and heard from a man who was a rebel during the Guatemalan civil war. To end the amazing day, we winded down to a nice dinner and a game of cards.

-by Madeline

Friday June 29, 2018

Hi all,

It’s Faith here to update you on what we did today. This morning, we all went to work on the mural and garden area at the school. Everyone worked really well together (while jamming) to some of our favorite bops), and we completed the final project. One of the best parts of painting the mural was painting the kids’ hands and putting them on the wall to make handprint flowers. After an exhausting morning, we came back to home base for lunch and some rest time. Because today was our last day at the service site, we got to go back for a despedida (goodbye).

We stayed at the school, running around and playing with the kids, for about an hour and a half. It was an emotional afternoon for many of us as saying our final goodbyes to the kids was ver hard. We are grateful that we had the opportunity to make a difference in their lives in the limited time we spent with them. After coming back to home base, we listened to another speaker share his experience of Guatemala’s civil war, only this time from the perspective of a member of the military. Then, we had dinner and shortly after, we had a bonfire. It was a long, physically and emotionally exhausting, but fun day. We are all excited for the hike tomorrow and the next few days ahead of us.

—Faith

Author: Faith

Saturday June 30, 2018

Today, our adventure started out with a 1.5km hike up the mountains to a sacred volcano lake known as Chicabal. We first took trucks up to our starting point and began our trek. Do not be fooled by the short distance we needed to travel to get to the lake. The hike was pretty difficult (at least for a good chunk of our group, maybe not the other GLA group as much); lots of upward hills, but absolutely beautiful views of the nature around us. Once we reached the top of the mountain, we made our way down to Laguna Chicabal. Around 1,000 steps later, we reached the lake and participated in a traditional Maya ceremony. The Maya priest burned 5 different colored candles, along with a block of brown sugar, each having a different presentation/symbol. The conductor of the ceremony would call out each Nawal (Maya spirit animal), and those who had that Nawal would place their individual candles in the fire as an offering to that Nawal. Following the Maya ceremony, we made our way back to where the trucks initially dropped us off, which was easier for the most part.

Once we got back to the vans, we set off to home base for lunch. Thankfully, we were able to have a few hours to recover from our hike and rest. We then did mentor groups and afterwards we did bookends where we discussed and debated on the creation of a woman’s organization in Guatemala. This discussion split us into 4 groups: the Amazons, the Church, the Machismo somos, and the artisan women. We then enjoyed a delicious dinner and we finished up the night by watching “When the Mountains Tremble,” a movie on the recent civil war that took place in Guatemala.

–Jordan

Sunday July 1, 2018

Today is the second to last full day with each other. It has been a rocky day as unexpected. We first woke up to get ready to eat breakfast and to start off a great day. While we traveled to go to the zipline location. We waited there for a while and then we were being introduced to the zipline safety. Then we had to go through the 1st zipline, which meant more driving until we got there, although we were in the back of the truck (mentor’s note: what a fun adventure through the backroads of the dry tropical forest!)

Once we got to the place, most friends were feeling excitement, but at the same time it was a nervous feeling about how it would turn out. Especially, because it was the first time ziplining for the majority of our group. Although we overcame our fear, the fear of heights or just the idea of getting out of our comfort zones helped us bond.

This will be an unforgettable experience seeing the beautiful landscapes once we ziplined across the areas. Forgetting about how scared we may have been at the time, when we were surrounded by nature it felt like it was time to appreciate the beauty, as if time pauses in order for us to recognize the adventure is always worth it.

After the 9 ziplines, we came back to the location we started from and got ready to leave to return to our home base “El Pedegral.” While we were coming back, one of our staff started a song with us that defined who we are together as a group, a family. It was a powerful song because she really knew who we were by evening saying that the song relates to us. It was incredible how she was so observant and on point when it came to that idea. Just thinking of it brings me peace and joy from the bond we’ve all created with one another. But knowing that even if we move forward, we will take this within us throughout the rest of our journey. After lunch, most of us started packing, then went to our last mentor groups. They have challenged us to come back to reality.

The idea that back home may be different and hard to adjust to again. It has helped us to open more to our peers in many different ways by just answering the questions in the group, and all the time in my group it’s about really deep conversations that made us stronger or deepened what really motivates us. In addition, we wrote letter to our future selves, which we will receive in December. We might not know what stage we might be in during that period of our lives, but we would want to look back and see the progress we’ve made and just remember the memories that shaped us in this program…what made us feel alive.

–by Maria

Monday July 2, 2018

Today was our last day together. The initial push to pack and get out the door was delayed, but not by too much. The drive lasted for what felt like forever, but it was broken apart by a break at a gas station where all of us kids got a couple snacks to pass the time a bit faster. Leaving Quetzaltenango at roughly 8:30, we arrived at the coffee plantation at 11:30. The plantation was really interesting, and I defenitely think it’s safe to say that we learned a lot about how different coffee roasts are created and the process behind preparing each individual bean. A cool thing about this plantation is that they’ll hire local families and pay them a bit more quetzales per 100 pounds of coffee beans they collect, that being Q70 compared to the normal Q40.

After that, we went to lunch where a few others and I were watching the Belgium versus Japan world cup match, which was really something to behold. That was a comeback anyone can appreciate. After lunch, the group went to the hotel in Antigua, where we split up into different groups: one group stayed behind at the hotel to rest and the other group went to the local (incredibly fancy) Mcdonalds where they filled out evalutations pertaining to their opinions on the staff and activities of the trip. After completing those surveys, the group went to a local ice cream shop with incredibly exotic flavors, such as strawberry parmesan! They then proceeded to go and purchase gifts for Diego and Nayo to give thanks to them for being such incredible drivers and helpers around the service site and other places. Honestly, there were times when I was certain that our van was going to scratch the side of a vehicle parked on the side of the road, but we somehow managed to wiggle through with only a few inches of space to spare, so I personally think that it’s really important that everyone acknowledges both of our godlike drivers for their incredible driving prowess.

When all of the groups returned to the hotel at roughly 6:00, we had a little chat on the top floor of the hotel where the staff presented each individual student with a commemorative sheet of paper, showing what each of our individual distinctions from the group are. The mentors were incredibly thoughtful with this, and as if it wasn’t enough, they got us all a necklace with our Nawals (spirit animal guides), which touched everyone’s hearts really deeply. We then went to dinner where there was a lot of farewell sentiment, with a lot of people standing up and expressing their love for the group and how sad they are to leave it. All of the kids will be keeping in touch a lot, and we even plan to have a reunion some day.

Personally, this is an experience that I will never forget, with every person remaining very close to the center of my heart. I was incredibly lucky to get to know all of these amazing, positive, and distinct people, including the staff, and I will cherish the memories we created together forever. The standard was set incredibly high for me for GLA, it being my first time. I don’t think anything could ever meet the expectations for a GLA excursion that I developed on this trip.

—Max

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Tuesday June 19, 2018

Today was arrival day – and our staff were super excited to meet the students! As students arrived they met with each other and began bonding – we had a large group come in at lunchtime so we all went to Pollo Campero, a beloved Guatemalan chicken restaurant that the students really enjoyed.

We then traveled to Antigua where we hosted some icebreakers, had a brief orientation to the program and our staff, and then went to dinner at a restaurant for a mix of American and Guatemalan traditional fare.

A second group of 6 students arrived later and went to dinner with Cathy, one of our mentors, in a tranquil neighborhood of Guatemala City minutes from the airport and multiple embassies. They arrived to Antigua and went straight to bed, but all are excited for seeing a coffee plantation and traveling to Xela tomorrow!

One of our students, Allie, is not pictured, as she arrived at 5:30am and spent the day in Antigua with a mentor while we did pickups for the rest of the students, but we will share another photo tomorrow with the entire group!

-Patrick (International Director)

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Today, we were packed and ready to go by seven in the morning from our hotel in Antigua. We ate a traditional Guatemalan breakfast and headed to San Antonio Aguas Calientes for a weaving demonstration and a wedding (director’s note: just a simulated wedding, folks! No students were married on this program :D). There, we experienced how authentic clothing and blankets are made only by hand, something that is rare and difficult to come by. We also watched two of our group members get “married” in traditional wedding outfits. After that, we hand-flattened corn tortillas and got the opportunity to eat them with a cup of coffee. We then continued our day at a coffee farm where we learned about process, culture, and history of coffee production in Guatemala. We got a chance to try and buy coffee home-grown at the farm. We began to finish up our day by driving four hours to Xela, our home base.

-Blog and Photos by Olivia and Jack Phillips

Thursday June 21, 2018

Today was GLA’s first day working with the children at the school, or Centro de Atencion Integral. Both groups were eager to meet each other! We got to work beginning their murals and helping out the teachers with their classes. After lunch, we drove to a local family owned chocolate factory, where we sampled natural Guatemalan chocolate and learned about the history of chocolate production. Finally, we ended the day with a Salsa class in downtown Xela. It was a busy, exciting day for our group!

Friday June 22, 2018

Today, we woke up to the smell of pancakes which made everyone very excited. After, we returned to the school and spent more time with the children playing games and painting our beautiful murals. “Pato Pato Ganzo” or “Duck Duck Goose” was one of the favorites. When we finished our morning full of service, we drove an hour to Momostenango to visit a textile factory run by a Guatemalan family. We learned how the wool is taken from the sheep and turned into beautiful textiles. Some of us bought bracelets, jackets, and blankets. A day full of fun!

-by Laura S. Photos by Morgan H.

Saturday June 23, 2018

This morning, after breakfast, we left our home base to go to Panajachel for an overnight trip. We took a boat ride where we saw many mountains and volcanoes. Then we walked around a small town and shopped. After that, we went back to our hotel and ate lunch. Finally we went to city where we could do some more shopping and bought souvenirs for our families. We also did an eye-opening activity which was called “Privilege Walk” where we realized how lucky and privileged we are. My favorite part of the day was eating ice cream in Panajachel. Overall we had a great day!

-Blog by Laetitia. Photos by Genevieve

Sunday June 24, 2018

Today we went to the market in Chichicastenango. There, we found many different shops filled with textiles, food, and many types of clothing. When we wanted to buy something, we had to bargain with the sellers to bring the price down. After the market, we went to lunch at a hotel where there were talking birds. After lunch, we took a two hour car trip back to home base, had a leadership activity and watched a very powerful documentary about Guatemala called When the Mountains Tremble.

-Blog by Marina. Photos by Elise

Monday June 25, 2018

Today was very interesting. First we had a very good breakfast, it was french toast. Then we all got on the bus and headed to the school where some of us finish out paintings on the walls while other played with the kids. After that we came back to the home base and had spaghetti that most people thought was amazing. After that great lunch we returned to the school where most of us scrubbed paint off the walls while others painted fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria for the kids. After a long day at the school we went to Walmart for a little bit to shop for some food. Then after a long day we return to the home base and had dinner (chicken tacos!).

Tuesday June 26, 2018

This morning we started the day with delicious breakfast burritos before heading off to the school to do service work. My group began caring for a dozen of excited toddlers as the other groups painted happy-looking fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria. Recess is always an exciting part of the day as we run around giving piggy-back rides and playing games with the children. Our groups split up and some of us worked on scraping old walls and repainting them, even while some plastered. The other groups worked with all ages of children in the classroom and prepared activities and made crafts like colorful fortune-tellers.

After lunch, all of us loaded the busses and headed to the hot springs about 45 minutes away far up in the mountains. The drive seemed to constantly continue upward as we went farther and farther into the mountains. After a while we could hardly see anything but the road and the clouds surrounding us. Once we arrived we viewed beautiful hot spring pools right before we rushed to take a dip in the steaming waters. After we finished swimming we left for home base ready to take showers and a nap.

-Blog by Erin. Photos by Patrick and Elizabeth

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Today was another day painting and playing with the kids at the school. During the first half of the morning, the kids went to different stations and played with paint. We finished up the wall murals and enjoyed spending time outside with the kids. After lunch we had a surprise activity led by Patrick. He took us to a famous cemetery and then we participated in a scavenger hunt in downtown Xela. We finished our activity with a trip to a hot chocolate café. We came back to home base and listened to a guest speaker who told us about the history of Guatemala’s civil conflict. We finished the night with mentor groups and our resting up for our last day with the kids.

-Blog by Brooke and Alexa. Photos by Mariló and Hadley

Thursday June 28, 2018

Today was our final day of service and as we rode to the service site everyone made sure tissues were in hand. We started the day off by finishing up the final coats of paint and completing the sign outside. After that we had some time to play with the kids before finally having to say goodbye. We all stood in a circle and held hands and the kids began to sing us a goodbye song. More than a few tears were shed as the director gave us her final words of thanks. With a couple more hugs and teary, “I’m going to miss yous,” we said goodbye to the kids and walked out the door.

After lunch we got back in the vans and took a quick ride to San Andres Xecul. We walked around with our tour guide, Juan, and he explained to us the Mayan Catholicism of the town, the culture, and significance of the churches. He also took us to the house of woman who embroidered detailed fabrics that take six months to make. Juan took us to his house afterwards and treated us to hot chocolate and tasty bread. The view was breathtaking from every location and even though the walks were incredibly steep it was all worth it when we got to the top.

Another quick ride back to home base and a tasty dinner later we all begin to settle down for a movie night. We are excited for the rest of our exciting trip in Guatemala!

Friday June 29, 2018

Today we woke up bright and early to go to a zip lining course. We ate breakfast and then started the hour drive up to the course. The end destination did not look much like Xela anymore, there were a lot of bugs and the moss and trees made it look like we were in a jungle. We put on harnesses and helmets and took a short but very bumpy ride in the back of a truck to the first of nine zip lines. The zip lines over looked a valley between two mountains with a waterfall. Once we were done with the course we drove to home base.

At the home base we had a lunch of lasagna and chicken soup. Once lunch was finished we had a few hours of down time to nap and relax. A guest speaker, Don Jose Castillo, came and talked to us about his perspective on the Guatemalan civil war. Don stood with the Guatemalan military, his perspective was very different than our first speaker who was on the Guerrilla’s side of the war. We were given some more down time before dinner. After dinner we had a book end group activity and discussion and then snuggled into bed!

Saturday June 30, 2018

Today, we woke up at seven and drove to an hour to a volcano, Laguna Chicabal where we met students from another other GLA group to hike! We started our hike together and ended an hour later at a very special lake where we participated in a Mayan ceremony. We then hiked back to the buses and drove back to the home base. After lunch, we said our farewells to Juan, our friend from Spain. This was very sad and we all cried. We then had time to pack and rest before we had mentor groups. We then had dinner followed by a surprise activity: a birthday party and dance party for our friend Georgia!

Blog by Noah. Photos by Anna & Julio

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*Please note: This blog will include both the 15-day and 22-day student groups, as the two groups are together up until day 15. After day 15, we will send a new blog link to the families of the 22-day students.

Saturday July 7, 2018

All students have arrived! This photo includes students from both the 15-day and 22-day sessions! Stay tuned for more updates on our Guadeloupe adventure!

Sunday July 8, 2018

Bonjour from the GLA Guadeloupe Pioneers!

The official day 1 began at 6:45am with a delightful breakfast of baguette, beans, eggs and juice. Following breakfast, our troop of 30 made our way over to a beautiful park overlooking the sea and the Ilet du Gosier. A long morning of orientation left us excited for lunch.

After our meal, we prepared to go and accomplish our afternoon activities. Our bus first took us down the long winding roads, straight to the beach. the water was warm, and the sand was a pure white powder. Following our beach time, we met our local director in Guadeloupe, Florence. Florence planned a scavenger hunt through Le Gosier which refreshed our French minds, as well as introduced us to some of the interests of the town. The scavenger hint ended with a rainstorm and us entering the school where we would take French lessons. We took a short test and then sat in groups discussing motivational quotes. By this time, many were exhausted with the day and were looking forward to dinner.

We arrived back at E. Gwada hostel with some time to spare, and then we dashed through the rain to dinner. Our night ended with us listening to thunder and the humming of mosquitoes as we fell asleep.

Official Day 1 in Guadeloupe was quite the adventure, as we experiences much of what is a part of life on this beautiful island.

– Piper S.

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Today was the first day of community service at the local garden, Jardin Alexina. Our day began bright and early at 6:45 for breakfast. Fueled for the coming hours, we hopped on the bus and arrived at the garden around 8am. We were greeted by the kind owners and the mooing of the nearby cow. We energized ourselves with a quick game of “wink murderer” and proceeded to take a tour of the gardens. However, before the tour, everyone made sure to keep their WITS about them: Water, Insect repellent, Buddies (even though it doesn’t start with a “t”), and Sunscreen.

The gardens were gorgeous! It wasn’t the typical garden located just on a flat piece of land, but it extended on a hill and the two flat plains above and below the hill. There were mango trees, aloe vera plants, breadfruit trees, and a “tree of life,” and even bee hives. There were many more species and the garden felt like its own ecosystem. It was amazing to learn about all the uses of the plants and discover natural growth that provided medicinal aid.

Après, we separated into groups and helped weed, pick up leaves, rake, shovel, and whatever else needed to be done. Though the work was hard and accompanied by many water breaks, the progress we made in four hours was fulfilling.

Around noon, we headed back to the E. Gwada hostel and ate a hearty lunch to prepare us for the four hours of intensive French lessons. The four hours were spent practicing grammar, learning tenses, speaking with each other, and having fun wile learning another language. French was followed by another hearty meal and then lights out around 10pm. The long but rewarding day opened our eyes to what hard work can produce in the community, both through service and language.

– Greta H.

Students having fun in their first French class in Guadeloupe!

It was an amazing thunderstorm when the tropical storm Beryl came through Monday evening. The open patio and our beautiful view made a stunning backdrop for our evening conversations during mentor circles!

Students are having a lot of fun getting to know one another at our hostel during their free time!

Our first day of service was a hit! Students watch as our very knowledgable guide cracks open an almond pulled straight from an almond tree growing in the gardens. The gardens are used to teach local school children about the many local plant species, and our students will be helping to repair structures damaged by the hurricanes of last season, the most important of which was Maria.

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Today, we again got up at the ungodly hour of 6 in the morning. We had breakfast inside the hostel, then prepared to go to French class. My class was pretty fun! I have realized idioms are really weird things, which we never think about really. They don’t make any sense. After four hours of French class, we came back for a lunch of spaghetti with meat sauce with a veggie salad.

After lunch, we went to the slavery memorial. We all had headsets for personal guided tours. Recordings played based on where you were in the museum. Very high tech and cool! I found it particularly interesting because it talked about slavery throughout the world, not just the US, both hundreds of years ago and modern slavery. It was a very powerful museum.

Afterwards, we wandered the streets of Guadeloupe, getting our first real look at people’s lives on this island. I loved it. We stopped by the market, and although it was closing, the souvenir shop was still open, and many of us got several somethings for ourselves or family. We then walked to a gelato shop for ice cream. It was delicious!

We had dinner (chicken, salad, and zucchini), then Mr. André, the director of the French school, came to talk to us about the English Camp where we will be doing our service tomorrow. I myself was rather anxious to do this part of the program, but he helped. We ended the day in mentor groups and talked about the museum and slavery. And now, we are all getting ready to sleep.

– Alyssa U.

Thursday July 12, 2018

On Thursday we went to our first school to play with the kids. We taught them games in English, such as duck, duck, goose, Simon says, and musical chairs. Not only were these games fun for the children, we taught them bits of English. We were there from 8-11.30am, and we spent the entire time laughing and playing games. As we were leaving, some of the kids ran out to the bus to say goodbye. They were very sad we were leaving but overjoyed to hear that we were coming back on Monday!

-Anish, Bruna, Julianna, George, Pheobe, Maeve, Harper, Kaitlyn, Grace and Aarti.

 

Sunday July 15, 2018

Hello!

Students in Guadeloupe have continued to experience local culture in the last few days through snorkeling, a cooking class, and community service.

“Sunday, after some much needed sleep, we got up for breakfast at 7:45. We ate quickly, got ready, and headed off to what had definitely been the most anticipated day of our trip: the snorkeling excursion. Our one hour road trip to Basse Terre flew by, and when we arrived on the black sand beaches you could feel the excitement in the air.

Once on the beaches, we split into two groups. One group went snorkeling first while the other group stayed behind and enjoyed the beach. Then after an hour of snorkeling fun, the groups switched. But, whether you went first or second, every student got to experience the delight of snorkeling.

Afterwards, we enjoyed pizza, the beautiful beach, the World Cup final, and an array of little beach shops teeming with souvenirs. Tired, sunburned, and happy we then returned to the hostel for dinner and bed.” -Ella E.

For many students, Sunday was their first time snorkeling! They were enthusiastic about the colorful fish and the beautiful coral.

Monday July 16, 2018

Monday’s community service at the English camp was followed by a quick French lesson and a cooking class!

“We attended a french cooking class where we made three different unique french creole dishes. We made a pineapple cake, a squash tart, and a pasta. We used french cooking terms and everybody had a good time with the chefs. Afterwards we all enjoyed the delicious dinner we made at home base.” -Anna B.

The group is looking forward to meeting locals and learning more about Guadeloupe for the rest of the week!

Photos will be added tomorrow when we have better WI-Fi at the school!

Thursday July 19, 2018

After receiving our daily announcements at breakfast we hopped on the bus to go to our community service at Jardin Alexina. As soon as we arrived to the garden we split into two groups. One group was teaching English and playing games with the local children. The other worked on repairing the greenhouse in the garden and rebuilding some stairs.

After this, we headed back to homebase for lunch. Instead of having our usual 4hrs of French class, we were pleasantly surprised with a trip to the beach. The water was very clear and the weather was beautiful. We saw many interesting animals including small crabs. We later came back to homebase for dinner and then we had a whole group debate on the rights of the aboriginal people of the wet tropics in Australia. It was interesting hearing different perspectives.

Friday July 20, 2018

Our community service today involved cleaning up a beach and learning about mangroves. We learnt a lot about their importance to the environment, and how they are now threatened. They are polluted by the trash that accumulates around these areas.

In addition to learning about mangroves, we also learnt about species that live in those habitats, such as crabs and termites and their contribution to the environment. Some of us even decided to taste some termites which are very rich in protein! After lunch, we attended a Gwo Ka performance at a school where we all danced and sang to the music of the drums. The dances were very energetic and soulful.

The performers also told old creole tales of which its origins dates back to the 1800’s. Later, we went to an artisanal market where we bought lovely souvenirs and then headed to the beach. After dinner, we took part in an ‘appreciation circle’ activity where we shared our thoughts and feelings to each other and it ended us all in tears (happy tears) as our time in Guadeloupe has come to an end.

-by Jules, George, Bruna, Maeve, Harper, Pheobe, Anish, Kaitlyn, Grace and Aarti

*Please note: This blog will include posts for day 15 through day 22 of the program, as the first group departed on July 21st.

Saturday July 21, 2018

Today was the end of the second week and as we all said our goodbyes the two week group left for Point a Pitre.

Then the rest of the remaining students left for an excursion in Basse-Terre. Our first destination was a coffee plantation.The local guide showed us around the plantation and we were able to eat different types of fruits. Often times on the plantations there are lots of fruit plants. After the plantation tour we started our hike through the forests, on our paths we ate mangos and let cows cross. Sometimes we crossed a roaring stream. Our hiking guide showed us some unique plants and we had a chance to eat termites. At the end of the long hike there was a big crashing waterfall and a place to cool off. All in all today was a fantastic day.

-by Pierce

Sunday July 22, 2018

So on Sunday we had another day of adventure but we were lucky because we got to sleep in. Breakfast was at 8:30 which is pretty late in Guadeloupe so we all got to sleep later then we usually do here. Then we had our first breakfast at our new hotel which included a croissant for everyone, it was absolutely delicious. After breakfast we set out on the days adventure. When we finally arrived at a beach at around 11 we met up with our tour guide and the adventure began. We started off on our two hour hike across the shoreline heading south from the northern most part of grand-terre. We hiked from one beautiful beach to the next and stopped several times at these little secluded beaches for short breaks of water and to take a tiny dip. Every beach we passed had the most amazing clear turquoise water that you can look right through to see the marine life under the water.

We also saw many crabs and hermit crabs along the beaches and pathways. What I thought was really cool was how the beaches didn’t have any seaweed because the land on that part of the island is protected by a big coral reef just off the shore. We continued our hike with many amazing sights and lots of discussions until we finally arrived at a more populated beach where our bus was parked, so we grabbed our supplies and headed to a spot that our bus driver saved for us. There we had chips and sandwiches for lunch before we finally went into the water. This beaches water was crystal clear and very warm once you got in, also once you got in it got deep very quickly. But the ocean was so calm and there weren’t any rough waves so we were all able to just relax, hangout, and have fun together. I spent almost two hours in the water before I got out and joined some others to lay out and dry off in the sun.

After about 30 minutes we all squished into one van and rode back to our hotel where we had two and a half hours to chill before diner, this gave us time to shower and settle in to our new rooms. Then we all just hung out I did some coloring in an adult coloring book some other kids made string bracelets and we all just had some fun. For dinner, almost all of us decided to wear some nicer clothes to eat our first dinner at our new restaurant. The food was great it was a large buffet with a salad bar and I was happy to have some chocolate mousse for dessert. After some great food and great conversation we decided to explore the area a little bit and ended up spending some time on a pier looking at the sky and talking. Before bed we had mentor group and we watched a really interesting ted talk. Then we all went to bed to get ready for tomorrows adventure.

-by Madison

Monday July 23, 2018

This morning we all left at 8 o’clock to head over to a small beach located in Grand Terre. As we lathered ourself up in sunscreen, our tour guide handed us binoculars and a page filled with local birds. We began to walk down the sandy path looking at wildlife and different types of mangroves. We learned about 4 different ones and what makes each of them different. Alongside this we learned about how many plants and animals have learned to adapt to the weather and wind here in Guadeloupe. Once we stopped for a break we had a discussion on the benefits of coral reefs and how it helps more than just tourism.

As our walk continued on we began to see more birds and learn many new things about each one. After driving back to the hotel listening to Rihanna songs, we had a little free time to take a nap before heading out to lunch at 12:30. After we helped ourself to local cuisine buffet style we headed over to French class. Considering the mass decrease in students our French classes were much smaller and conjoined. After 3 hours of class we returned back to the hotel to do the second load of laundry this trip. As soon as we had finished we headed out to a dinner buffet style. Following dinner, we went to our mentor group followed by a good nights rest.

-Olivia P

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Today we started the day with a great breakfast and immediately headed to the gardens for community service. Some of us played soccer and cards with the kids. We learned about their interests, their lifestyle, and their culture. Some of us worked on stairs that needed reconstruction and made great progress on it. After the garden we came back and had lunch at a buffet close by. After taking a relaxing break we watched Transformers on our way to the Cacao Plantation. We learned about how chocolate is made and tasted unique chocolate flavors. After that we had dinner at the same buffet and planned what to do the next day for kids whom we will be teaching English to.

-Aylin

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Today we went to a local summer camp to teach kids english. we taught them colors, animals, the alphabet, a few songs, as well as playing some games with them. the group of kids i worked with likes to play with lego’s especially. as a gift to us, they performed and taught us a few dances which brought smiles to all our faces. saying goodbye was hard with these compassionate kids. After working with the kids the group did 3 hours of French class. We had some down time and then a we went to the beach to relax and hang out. We had a good dinner and then did mentor group.

-by Sophie & Sergey

Thursday July 26, 2018

Today we started off the morning by returning to a garden the group has been working with these past few weeks. We created cement for the stairs and played with young kids to aid them in learning English. For lunch we returned to home base before going to the beach. Later we met with local teens. With them we played charades and learned local dances.

-by Talyne